The Meaning of okonai [行い] In Japanese

行い
おこない
Romaji: okonai N5

What does 行い mean?

Translation and Meaning

conduct, behavior, actions

Definition

行い means conduct or behavior; it refers to the way a person acts or carries out actions, especially in terms of moral or social conduct.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • conduct or behavior
  • deeds or actions, especially morally oriented ones
  • manner of acting in a given situation

Etymology

From 行う (okonau) via nominalization; the noun 行い expresses the act of performing or carrying out, with 行 conveying action and い marking the noun form.

Composition

  • 行: to go, to perform; い: nominalizing suffix; together they form a noun indicating an act or conduct

Usage

Used primarily as a noun in formal or written contexts. Common in phrases such as 良い行い and 悪い行い; in everyday speech it can feel literary, with synonyms like ふるまい or 行動 used in casual contexts.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine 行 as the action of going or doing, and い as the noun marker; picture someone going to perform something, and that resulting conduct is 行い.

Variations

  • conduct, behavior — okonai
  • actions, deeds — okonai
  • demeanor — furumai
  • attitude — taido

Example Phrases

  • 日頃の行いを見直す良い機会だ。
    higoro no okonai o minaosu yoi kikai da.
    It’s a good opportunity to review daily conduct.
    Lista:
    • 日頃 (higoro) – daily
    • の (no) – of
    • 行い (okonai) – conduct
    • を (o) – (object marker)
    • 見直す (minaosu) – to review
    • 良い (yoi) – good
    • 機会だ (kikai da) – opportunity
    日頃 means ‘daily; usual’; here it forms 「日頃の」 to modify 行い (日頃の行い = daily conduct).
  • 彼女の行いは小さな親切でみんなを喜ばせた。
    Kanojo no okonai wa chiisana shinsetsu de minna o yorokobaseta.
    Her actions were small acts of kindness that made everyone happy.
    Lista:
    • 彼女の (kanojo no) – her
    • 行い (okonai) – conduct
    • は (wa) – is
    • 小さな (chiisana) – small
    • 親切 (shinsetsu) – kindness
    • で (de) – by
    • みんな (minna) – everyone
    • を (wo) – (object marker)
    • 喜ばせた (yorokobaseta) – delighted
    The noun 「行い」 means conduct or behavior; here it pairs with の to mean ‘her conduct’ and is the subject of the sentence: 彼女の行いは…。
行い